sidelinellc

Im not new to mechanics or solving problems and this seams like a great bunch of folks with knowledge on such!
history-a gen 2 std crv that i recently changed out the front axles on with new(not reman or cardone, but not honda oem ether)I realize from exploreing online that many folks have similair vibratiom issues after axle swaps and am leaning towards this as ive now changed then out twice with no change in the problem.
All suspesion and steering componets have been changed prior and i believe the applied load rotating mass vibration is being caused by the axels-unsure which one but the angle on the d-side is the tightest one..

I then steered towards the motor and tranny mounts possibly being the culprit and not being able to handle the tighter tolerances the new axles achieve. These were replaces with oem.

So, my brain thinks theirs a critical angle with the newly installed cvès thats coming into play under acceleration or applied load.
-Has anyone pretension all the mounts thereby eliminating the engine torque which i believe is causing the bind under load causing the vibration...

ideas and comments and experiences on this welcome please!
thanks in advance

sidelinellc

Here's an update but still uncertain as to why:
I "neutralized" all the motor mounts via power braking method in f and r and then tightened in sequence.This helped get rid of 30% of the vibration but due to the axles not-being oem its still there.
My question is to why? I ve replaced many of aftermarket axles on hondas and alike and though some are bad out of the box, why does the CRV seam so finicky with aftermarket i have to wounder. All the specs are relatively the same but you can clearly see when on stands and under power(spinning), theres is a slight out of round that appears to coincide with the vibration under load.
Looking at other vehicles with replacement non-oem axles, this out of round rotating condition also appears but does not correspond to a vibration under acceleration as it does in the crv and othere honda vehicles.

Thoughts on this welcome

2x0

I am interested in what you find on this. I also have a load-dependent vibration, that is speed dependent as well. It comes on the most between 30-40mph and during 50%-75% throttle.

I have ordered my second set of new, albeit cheap Cardone axles to try this weekend. They are slightly shorter than my previous ones.

I used a method I found online to measure the length by removing the axle nut and fully compressing the axle into the hub. The end of the axle is supposed to be flush with the hub surface. If the axle sticks out, it is too long. The thinking is that this will cause them to bind under certain conditions. So I will try it and see.

77amc

From my personal experience with lot older Honda's is that if the original axles had the rubber doughnut in-between the joints, that the 'new' axle should have one also for balancing it.

Granted this was decades ago, but seems to sound like the same issues. (after replacing axles on a clients car, took for a test drive and heart sank, thinking that I messed something up
and won't be getting paid..) Then arguing with the parts 'person' that "I don't care what your computer shows, IT'S THE WRONG ONE! And trying to get money back for part or Labor is questionable..

It seemed to ONLY be on acceleration and went away immediately on deceleration.

Hope this helps some.
E

sidelinellc

Thanks for the updates and info provided. The rubber "donut" on some aftermarket axles didnt make a noticeable difference IMO but good thought. Im going with the criticle angle being a culprit but still uncertain as to the why. Also, i readjusted the motor mounts via power braking with all mounts loose then tightening in sequence i forums...no change..still vibrates under acceleration

Does anyone have info or experience on the OEM HONDA re-manufactured axles from HONDA? There half the price of new oem and was considering sourcing them out for my crv.
thank you in advance

Occidentalis

Honda OEM remanufactured worked for me - this is like the 7th or 8th case I've seen of users reporting trouble with aftermarket CV axles. You definitely aren't alone. The culprit, when identified, is usually improper machining to the transmission end where it slides in.

2x0

Very interesting. Might be something I'll try next.

thelazymechanic

I made the mistake of buying aftermarket axles for mine because they were cheaper, in the end I ended up buying the honda ones because I still had vibration issues with the aftermarket ones. A fair bit more money for the honda ones but it would have been cheaper in the end if I just ponied up and bought them in the first place.

2x0

With the aftermarket ones, how and when did the vibrations occur? And simply switching to OEM Honda axles completely resolved the issue?

thelazymechanic

I'm a sucker for punishment! First time was with the rear drive shaft I went with a dorman rear shaft and I found that it would get a vibration around 45-50 mph and get worse with speed, I replaced it with a honda drive shaft and life was good. As for the front axle shaft I had issues with a NAPA reman, it felt like a stiff spot in the outer joint when I looked into it later. I ended up replacing it with a honda unit and everything seemed better. You did mention that this all started after you replaced the axles, why did you replace them in the first place? also I've seen it before on other vehicles if the axle is not properly seated (in all the way) it can also cause similar symptoms to what you are describing.

thelazymechanic

sorry forgot to mention that the front axle Vibration was noticed at highway speeds and slightly faster than city driving, acceleration also affected it as well.